The ongoing drama surrounding YouTube for Windows Phone has taken another twist with Google once again moving to block the app again.
Earlier this year Google asked Microsoft to remove the native YouTube app because it blocked advertisements and allowed video downloads, violating the terms of service.
Microsoft agreed to work with Google to resolve the issues and earlier this week the new app was released claiming to have answered Google’s concerns.
However, just two days later, Google has once again registered its displeasure with Microsoft with reports suggesting the disagreement arising through Microsoft refusing to comply with Google’s request for a HTML5-based app.
In an official statement, YouTube said: “We’re committed to providing users and creators with a great and consistent YouTube experience across devices, and we’ve been working with Microsoft to build a fully featured YouTube for Windows Phone app, based on HTML5. Unfortunately, Microsoft has not made the browser upgrades necessary to enable a fully-featured YouTube experience, and has instead re-released a YouTube app that violates our Terms of Service.”
In response, Microsoft has hit the roof, accusing Google’s openness as having ‘limits’ and even claiming Google has ‘made up’ reasons to block the app.
In a blog post David Howard, Corporate Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Microsoft, wrote: “It seems to us that Google’s reasons for blocking our app are manufactured so that we can’t give our users the same experience Android and iPhone users are getting.
“We think it’s clear that Google just doesn’t want Windows Phone users to have the same experience as Android and Apple users, and that their objections are nothing other than excuses. Nonetheless, we are committed to giving our users the experience they deserve, and are happy to work with Google to solve any legitimate concerns they may have. In the meantime, we once again request that Google stop blocking our YouTube app.”
As it stands, YouTube has revoked access to the API so we’re at an impasse once again.
Via Engadget
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
